Load Runner Comic Book Collection

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QV-i’SFlEll

LOOKOUT 1 .1

RIGHT. >
I KNOW WHICH
SIDE yOU'RE
X ON. ^

Fortnightly September 29 —October 12 1983

iOAD RUNNER. AND PETRA
L ARE TWO HUMANS STRANDED
IN A MALEVOLENT COMPUTER -
CONTROLLED GAME WORLD.
TAKIN6TOTHe AIR IN AN OLD
BI-PLANE, THE/ FIND
THEMSELVES IN A D06 FIGHT!

JOIN ROM AND RAM MOTOR RACING

THE DECODERS A T THE FAIR MICRO USER

SCRIPT:

FRANK

HOPKINSON

PHOTOS:

HENRY ARDEN

LETTERS:

JACK POTTER

NO, IT WASN'T

NOU TURNED
V IT OFF! v

IT'S PROBABLY A
LOOSE CONNECTION.
THINGS CAN WORK
LOOSE AFTER A LOT
^ O FUSE. v

OR A POWER
SURGE, THAT CAN
CAUSE A /?AM
^CXASH. ^

PITY ABOUT ~
THE PROGRAM,
THAT MUST HAVE
TAKEN A LOT OF
v WORK. A

AFTER A SCHOOL SOFTWARE COMPETITION

IS ANNOUNCED TO DEVELOP THE BEST GAME PROGRAM,
REBEL PUPIL BEV JEAVONS HITS ON A WINNING IDEA.
BUT OTHER PEOPLE ARE OUT TO STOP HER .

YOU HAVEN'T \
SPOKEN A WORD
SINCE YOU CAME IN
THERE'S GOT TO BE
V SOMETHING. ^

WHY WON'T
YOU BUY ME A
COMPUTER ?

WE'VE BEEN THROUGH
THIS BEFORE, LOVE. WE
HAVEN'T GOT THE MONEY,
YOU KNOW THAT. ^

WHAT'S WRONG
WITH THE ONE
THEY'VE GOT AT
v SCHOOL? _

I'M SORRY, BEV, ^
BUT THE ANSWER'S
NO AND IT'S GOING TO
STAY THAT WAY. IF WE
COULD WE WOULD. ,

I'LL GET
HOLD OF ON.
SOMEHOW.

vts, aui NOW IT'S
DIFFERENT. THERE'S A
COMPETITION ON ATSCHOC
/FI HAD MY OWN MICRO
COULD WIN EASILY. THE
FIRST PRIZE IS £50.

T IF I CAN HAVE 1

A 64 K RAMPACK.
A LIGHT PEN AHD
A FLEXIBLE RIBBON
CONNECTOR, I

MIGHT THINK A
W ABOUT IT. JLi

' SO, RUN ^
OUT OF FIRST
YEARS TO
v FRIGHTEN,
\HAVE YOU 7

A FLEXIBLE
RIBBON CONNECTOR.

IT PLUGS INTO THE BACK
?. F A MICRO AND CONNECTS
WITH A RAMPAOK.IT STOPS
YOU GETTING WHITE-OUTS.

NO, MISS
PATTERSON

^ DON'T TRY
AND BE CLEVER
WITH US. WE WANT
YOU TO WRITE A
PROGRAM FOR THIS
. COMPETITION. *

FORGET IT. ^
I ONLY WRITE
PROGRAMS FOR
. MYSELF.

IT JUST x -
might be the

RIGHT TIME TO
GET MY OWN
BACK. ^

V THERE'S NEIL
STANBURY AND JASON
HUMPHREYS. I BET SIR
GAVE THEM SPECIAL
PERMISSION TO USE THE
MICRODURING LUNCH-
TIME— WALLIES' /

u

*»wx

WESEBSM

v SEEN MY '
NOTEBOOK,
HAVE YOU 7
I THOUGHT /'
left it

l HERE. J

PERFECT,

THEY'VE
LOADED A
PROGRAM
ALREADY.

/ THAT'S FUNNY ^
’THEY HAVEN'T SAID "
ANYTHING. IF I WAS
THEM I'D BE VERY ,
NERVOUS ABOUT
LOSING MY PROGRAM
DUE TO ANOTHER
SUDDEN tf/VH CRASH l

T OH YEAH-
SURE IT'S NOT
\ FOR YOU 7

TOUGH LUC/C \
AND THAT'S GOOD-1
BYE TO YOUR
PROGRAM. SEE j
HOW YOU LIKE IT, /
k, CREEP! „ '

.

CHILDREN'S EDUCATIONAL SOFTWARE

The MICRO MASTER Series
for 7-13 years (any SPECTRUM)

RESEARCHED, DESIGNED AND TESTED by teachers
with just one aim TEACHING. Easy to use — just RUN.

THE FOUR RULES OF NUMBER

(A package of 5 programmes)

This package promotes FAST and ACCURATE calcula¬
tion ability at increasingly difficult levels. It is very
EFFECTIVE as can be seen by consulting the enclosed
grading tables for assessments of pupil's performance
(given his age).

LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT SERIES

(10 programmes on each cassette)

To develop VOCABULARY, SPELLING, CONCEPT AT¬
TAINMENT, VERBAL REASONING and KNOWLEDGE
OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE.

A complete series tailored to each age group. Used for
remediation and, at the highest levels, for COMMON
ENTRANCE etc.

THE FOUR RULES PACKAGE £1 1.70

LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT CASSETTE £7.90

(State pupil's age.) 1 of each £14.50

Cheques to MICRO MASTER, Dept. LR, 94 Airedale
Ave, Chiswick, London W4 2NN. For further details
phone Dr. K. W. Glasson 01-747 1373.

EXPERIENCED SINCLAIR/COMMODORE PROGRAMMERS
REQUIRED IN WEST LONDON

PINBALL WIZARD has.Bumpers, . • -*•
rollovers, agackpot, slingshots and 3 ;•*: Jk
flippers that you can even us : £ to. frajf W^I^ H T T
and .hold the ball!' You can'eyeri • . - ;•/ * 7 " ^WTZArT)
nudge the.tableV but not too often-or it ■ • 7 -
tilts!*PINBALL WIZARD IS PmE s 7 ; V^; V;'-77'

vUNEXPANDED.
\ VIC 20*.

enjoyment.

Rec. Price £7.95

. u An excellent game’’.said‘Computer afid ■' Commodore .
Video Games(Sbp83). . * 7 SUPER SKRAMBLE!

- A novel, exciting and compulsively 7 “ -:. 7 ' Commodore
. tactical arcade-style game.- 7 * . SUPER GRIDDER

The FIRST dfBg’ames eas$ette to tiave. . * Commodore .
. SIMULTANEOUS TWO-PLAYER j^CWsUPERDOG FIGHT j
l m ACTION-realisitic sound effects too. ■ Prices £9^95

SPACE ISLAND and VAMPIRE VILLAGE ♦ Sinclair 7
are unique and exciting replayable real- *. , Spectrum 48k
time graphic adventures - guaranteed SPACE ISLAND
• to keep you on your toes. .CITY is-what • • , :j

We call a feal'-time Computerised better* VAMPIRE VILLAGE
than : a-board game...find out why. • CITY

All superb value at- Rec. Price £6.95 -

SELECTED-TITLES NOW AVAILABLE IN:

Dixons Software Express
GREENCHIP at Debenhams

LASKYS

TERMINAL

OFTHISWORLD OFFER..

■#=

m

CASSETTE 50
for your MICRO

'SPECTRUM . ORIC-1 •

% ggp

'ZXBt • DRAGON'ATARI*

* VIC* li!) • #«PPta 8^1 •

GALACTIC ATTACK
SPACE MISSION
LUNAR LANDER
PLASMA BOLT
STARTREK
RADAR LANDING
ATTACKER

j GALACTIC DOGFIGHT
ZION ATTACK
IVASIVE ACTION
OXO

BOGGLES
PONTOON
SKI JUMP
HANGMAN
OLD BONES
THIN ICE

MAZE EATER
ORBITTER
MOTORWAY
FORCE FIELD
NIM

TUNNEL ESCAPE

BARREL JUMP

CANNONBALL BATTLE

OVERTAKE

SITTING TARGET

SMASH THE WINDOWS

SPACESHIP

JET FLIGHT

PHASER

INTRUDER

INFERNO

GHOSTS

SUBMARINES
ROCKET LAUNCH
PLANETS
BLACK HOLE
DYNAMITE
DO YOUR SUMS
DERBY DASH
SPACE SEARCH
UNIVERSE
RATS
TANKER
PARACHUTE
JETMOBILE
HIGH RISE
THE FORCE
EXCHANGE

CASCADES HOUSE
LLANDOGO
MONMOUTH
GWENT

S.WALES NP5 4PA

I ENCLOSE CHEQUE P.O. FOR £9.95 (WHICH INCLUDES VAT AND DELIVERY).
PLEASE SEND ME 50 GAMES ON A CASSETTE FOR MY-

PARENT/GUARDIAN SIGNATURE _

WE BUY GAMES CONTACT US NOW

SECURITY \Fm.
PRSS y \*w

Load Runner T-shirts
for lucky Decoders

ONCE AGAIN three exclusive Load Runner T-shirts are waiting to be claimed by
the Decoders whose membership numbers are listed in the coded printout
below. To discover whether you are one of the lucky ones, decode the message
using your Cipher Book. The message also contains an easy question. If your
number is included, claim your prize by writing your name, address and
membership number on a postcard, together with the answer to the question,
and post it to me at my installation base, to arrive not later than October 14th.
Don't forget to state whether you require a small, medium or large size T-shirt.
The prize-winners will have their photographs displayed on this page in future
printouts.

REB
JHB
JHB
JHB

VEJ LJGBQ YPJG REB

_Cf G, B p O KPB:

PAW YAUB.

BATER YJSP
yaub ZBPJ
—! MFKHBR ZAFFXDJH?

(Keyword NO. 4)

Join * Star Letter ▼

the ^ ARE YOU a Decoder with a differ-

. ence? Do you have an interesting .
* hobby or an unusual use for your W'
computer? Has something out-of-the- ^
~ ordinary ever happened to you? *
4k Write and tell me about it, including a
photograph if possible. £5 will be ~
P a id for each Star Letter published, -jk

THE LOAD RUNNER DECODERS is a rapidly growing fan dub for
readers of the first computer comic in the galaxy. A new member
will receive a personalised security pass with his or her photo¬
graph mounted upon it, together with a membership number. This
Security Pass will give the bearer a reduced admission charge
to exhibitions and computer fairs announced from time to time in
the Decoders page of Load Runner.

Each member will also receive the Decoders Cipher Book which
provides the key to the coded messages that appear in each
printout. Exciting prizes are awarded to successful Decoders
whose membership numbers appear in those messages.

The cost of membership is £3. If, however, you cut out the
word Decoders from the top of this page and from one other
printout of Load Runner, you can join the dub at the special
reduced rate of £1. Simply fill in the application form below and
send it together with your membership fee and TWO passport-
size photographs to: The Controller, Load Runner Decoders, ECC
Publications, 196-200 Balls Pond Road, London N1 4AQ. Please
make cheques or postal orders payable to ECC Publications Ltd.

War Games Book Winners

Graham Skipworth, Sheffield; John Conway, Preston, Lancs;
Jill Roberts, Newbury, Berks; H. C. Armstrong, East Croydon-
Sheikh Rahman, London SE19; Lynton Maipas, Tewkesbury,
Glos; Carlo lacono, Watford, Herts; Robert Crompton, De¬
vizes, Wilts; Rowland Turner, Chertsey, Surrey; Robert
Barnes, East Hanninfield, Essex; Andrew MeGowan, Bears-
den, Glasgow; Jonathan Yearsley, Rhyl, Clwyd; Trevnal Lacy,
Farnborough, Hants; Brian H. Longstaff, Sheffield; T. Halton,
Nantwich, Cheshire; Andrew McGovern, Townhead, Coat¬
bridge; T. A. Willis, Bolney, W. Sussex; Mark Newman, Hall
Green, Birmingham; John Breedon, Mapperley, Nottingham;
Chi-Wah-Yau, London NW1; I. Murphy, Accrington, Lancs;
Mark Vivash, Portsmouth; Mark Harris, Croydon, Surrey; Dun¬
can Gordon, Brierfield, Lancs; Nicholas Winchester, Loughbor¬
ough, Leics; Louis Wood, London ElS; John Cotton, Great
Yarmouth; A. P. Westney, Shoebury, Essex; William Biney-
Tay, London W8; Daryl Bloomfield, Basingstoke, Hants; David
Worsdale, Waltham Cross, Herts; Gornall Leach, Tyne & Wear;
John Medany, North Harrow, Middx; Beowulf Grimbly, London
N4; Bobby Earl, Prenton, Birkenhead; Paul Monger, Iver Heath,
Bucks; James Solomon, Beverley, North Humberside; Fablo
Passaro, Croesyceiliog, Cwmbran; John Crawford, Alexan¬
dria, Dunbartonshire; Gorbaksh Singh, Ilford, Essex; David
Campbell, London SE14; Christopher Shaw, Southowrom,

List below the story/programs and fact routines that!
you like best in Load Runner. |

■Vhat do you dislike most in Load Runner?

Do you have a computer? YES/NO
Name.;.Aae

Address

1 A R

V 1 A R Y n t

* W A L L G ? T

T A B N a V It

T n^ L ° R TA

t??^ Kg ue
c C N o T u w

Secret path: SE, SW, E, E, SE, SE, NE

*.

»«■ more than seven m« “ l™ 10 °-■
oan find fhe nn„ben. f Y„T 2"“'
computer by telling it whether the last Less
was lower or higher than the. ? ^ SS
thouo-ht- nf r„ K , an the number you
thought of. Can you describe how the com
puter goes about the task?

Wordplotter—

P I 15“

™ SWERS <° puzzles in iast printout:
The Data Snake secret word is DIGITAL

. T £ “ 640 '="» »"•"««.

r

18

r

m

■

■

□

20

j

m

, ~ooards and ™ y t „ mc , „„„

Down

2- nUmber Sh0UW be » ®

4.’ uled on PAPER tf) U Stay “ P ' ate com P uti ng <7

5 ' wa O rSl7T P,0yeeS ’ 3 WS m ° St in ~t

6. A sense,'of art , perhaps (5)

1U - Lt follows 4 across (7) V

15. Jobs set by 17 across (5) 8 <5)

iq* wn 7 e CharaCters per sec °nd (3)

18. What parents do if you’re computing? (3)

— WS^DPLO-TTER 7 SOLUTION

Across ^ -‘-1-L J

1. Computer worker ( 5 )

4. First stage in computer use (5)

7- Tennis with linked computers? ( 7 )

«. -Positive answer (3)

9. Electronic data processing at first

S (^ tem f° r ^°P S f h0 ^have in.

13. George’s algebra ( 7 )

14. Instruction in assignment ( 3 )

J ake httl e Susan to court (3)

1 /. Programmer’s customers ( 7 )

19- Legal files used in the Comal language (5)

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I I Bfi

mmmm

Ml

@1

jagaEHaB

I THINK your computer comic is good as it is
almost easier to read than home computing
magazines. The picture stories I like best are
Time Plan 9, The Invasion of the Arcadians
and I think Load Runner is good. Your Buzz¬
word section and your A-Z of computers is
useful, too.

What does ECC mean?

Patrick Lea, Cheshunt, Herts.

y VUR COMIC
read but you do
hints or a g ' ■
own a Vic-20
readers feel the

somi key ° urp “ z te
some more p

Barr 1

C " re <sj

f/?/-ee pagres o/ pro

printout. Don't forget, / w ,y/
P r °9ram printed, so if you
routines you think our read-
3 sencf Mem. Include a
envelope if you want

not
guide to
and I
same

* -~~r- ^

Programs.

-Y Jorie:

I My programmers a
Barry, and you i/v

//7 f/7/s r --
pay £70 f or each
have games or r~
ers might like, please
stamped addressed c...
your cassettes returned.

* Vectrex

* Competition

I* 1st Niall Gilsenan, 9
.. [l e,y ' Co Wicklow

*t2nd Paul Smeaton, 12 D
3rd Keshra Patel, 14, Hi

^ Middx
4th Cuong Truong,

* W9

* 5th Fiachra Stokes,
teer, Dublin

|*6th Justin Freeman.

Oxford

******

I win pay £3 for each

printed.

Write to: The Controller,

Load Runner,

196-200 Balls Pond Road
London N1 4AQ

f^cAU SjlC

mat do you mean, almost? ECC star
ur °Pean Communication Consu,
^^9elseyou^^ to

Dislikes

AS» E On“[hin m?S l d ° n0t '&*

Club is expensive Po f/ ftat the Dec

about £1 pi eas y e ? Ur Pn ' ce for

educational programs a ™ ICr os, game;

mtl ap -! the r e “Old be secHnn ** m !

Brilliant

_ Kaiiman
reading a computer
computer comic. In
some bugs in your
-* 7 My operators
every new micro

.~ ,r was up and

the Aquarius and the

any case, there must be r —
data files, reader Rahman

have output data on , -

launched since Load Runner'
running-the Sord M 5 ,
Electron.

Each printout coni
micro specifications
of Computers
books and c 1
tured in future
From time t~
join the Decoders
of the special offers
opposite page.

12, Baffin

15, North

. ■ yomes reviews and

in my Softspot and A -Z
fact routines. Reviews of
educational software will be fea-
J printouts.

to time I will allow readers to
- " J at a reduced rate. The first
can be found on the

Middx,

mP° ter

t0 o°m d co^P ut ‘
ctrU wic disp' a

' aph ’ m usic

>e ready

and Spe

daZZ " n oanv w
accoinP^2—

or then

Simian

Wiarc
inst ti

Jan

lives

Trtind

. strip
andX^

itions

with V° ur
nr prin to ^

YOU CERTAINLY
PICK YOUR MOMENT,
ANDY, ANYWAY, I'VE
ALREADY TRANS¬
FERRED YOUR A
S WAGES, ^

HI, BOSS,
PAYDAY COMES
BUT ONCE A

' I'VE JUST SEEN N
THIS FLASH BIKE - '

A 900 cc ITALIAN JOB.

MY WIN BONUS WILL
. JUST COVER THE J
X^DEPOSIT/ y

S' WIN BONUS!''

YOU MUST THINK I CAN
JUST PRINT-OUT CASH >
STILL, I S'POSE YOU'VE
EARNED IT- BUT IT'LL
HAVE TO BE A CHEQUE.

M4//VIED BY A CHILDHOOD CRASH, ANDY'S
LIMBS HAD BEEN REBUILT USING EXPER¬
IMENTAL bio-mechanical iURGE&.

YOU STUPID 1
l DISC-BAG'f

BEFORE THE INK
HAS A CHANCE
TO DRY ,,,

' ■■■ AND THE MICROCHIP \

CIRCUITS WILL PRACTICALLY \
DRIVE IT FOR YOU, BUT THERE |
IS A MANUAL OVERRIPE FOR )
^ THE REAL SPEED F REAKS/ J

-1/-THAT'S

>r I V WHAT I LIKE

V TO HEAR,

PAVY'S pominators have been threatened

b X neaV£ marshall estates

f.JHE TEAM OF ROBOT FOOTBALLERS FAIL TO
MAKE A PROFIT IN THE COMING SEASON,,,

THAT WAS KIT^
CU( &? R - WHO THE
„ HELL HIT HIS
PANIC BUTTON 17

|«i

WE'RE PLAYING THE
CURSORS ON SATUR
PAY, IF ONLY I LOU LP
HEAR WHAT THEY'RE
. SAYING, k aa ;

m

'W.

M

?*>r\

I PUNNO WHAT THEY'RE
U .P JO, BUT IF FAT MAN
MARSHALL'S INVQLVEP,
IT AIN'T FOR THE POM'S

_ benevolent funp,

i

j^Trj'vjWj*

Wj.

W r s&ss

jig

jiiiii.

r SO YOU THINK '
MARSHALL'S GOT HIS
GREASY FINGERS INTO
ANOTHER MURKY
^ peal?

/^5

NMEl

I

A

&

TO nNP OUT JUST HO^^Y*
-- ON SATURPAY. >

m

SATURPAY ARRIVES,,. ANP
SO POES KIT CURSOR,,.

f~VV BETTER GET "\
/ CHANGEP. WATOH MY
/ BALK TOPAY, BOSS ,,,

\ I'M NERVOUSABOUT
^ THIS ONE, y

M

OP

\

%

SCRIPT -

CHRIS WINCH

ART -

JOHN STOKES
LETTERS -

S. CRAPPOCK

MY MAN l THE SUM¬
MER IS TOO LONG A
BREAK FOR US JOY

V STICKERS I >

IP » ■ ■ ■ |

FREE BLANK CEO COMPUTER
WITH EVERY TWO CASSETTESV

J e ™ mber here's no limit to the number
cassettes you receive if your order justifies t
why not get together with friends or user
^^^l^^^rnembers and share the freebies?

GUARANTEE

Order with complete confidence. If you are
not entirely satisfied with the quality of
your purchase return it to us within 7
days and we will provide a replacement.

OFF^R EVERY ™ END0US SELECTION! PLUS A FREE
«in the order form right away — we're guarantee™ fast

comK'?o?more S !f SfaCti ° n ^ a "' We ^ V ° U t0

Hante > GU34^tjp r * <Sh0p ’ Ye “ Tree > Selborne -

Piay in the big league
— with only the best

newest programs!

cannot be bought by aVoKurcef

programs for your Sinclair! specialising in

With our special new deal — you just CANT GO WRONG.

* A free offer every month [this time it’s a free blank

* 220 cassette w,th every two games ordered]

sahsTed^? guarante u e if you’re not entirely
weatK ^hegStyS 7a,* h0W C °" fident

Juicky to beammg thefKtoo^thelel^of skS^ \

^^eme^fastde^lKl \

SDON 1 you could be using these new programs

Here’s a whole NEW selection of

the latest games, the best-value software

for your ZX-81 or Spectrum.

ZX81 Software

1 -01 Stock Market

Buy and sell your way to millions 1
16K RAM

1 -02 Football League

First division fun for the soccer
enthusiast. 16K RAM

1 03 Test Match

Match your wits alongside the
superstars. 16K RAM

1-12 Avenger

Avoid missiles and bombs to become the
ruler. 16K RAM

1-13 Protector

Defend your own ship from oncoming
attackers. 16K RAM

1 -31 Comp-U-Share

Investment management program for
unit trusts, shares and loan stocks.
Complete documentation included
16K RAM

1 -32 Comp-U-Tax

Accurate personal income tax calculator
for 82/83 tax year. Full documentation
included. 16K RAM

Spectrum Software

2-12 Avenger

(See 1 -12 under ZX81 ]. 48K RAM

2-13 Sentinel

Guard your mother ship against alien
attacks. 48K RAM

2-14 Meteor Storm

Spectrum version of the ever-popular
arcade game. 16K or 48K RAM

£4.95

£3.95

2-15 Star Trek

Popular space program brought to life by
excellent graphics. 48K RAM

£4.95

£3.95

2-21 Frogger

Manoeuvre the frog across the road
avoiding heavy traffic. 48K RAM

£5.95

£3.95

2-22 Crazy Balloons

£4.95

Guide the balloons round the maze
without bursting. 48K RAM

£5.95

2-23 Arcadia

The expert's version of the popular
'Invaders' game. 16K or 48K RAM

£5.95

£4.95

2-24 Golf

The finest of golf handicap qames

48K RAM

£5.95

£9.95

2-25 Test Match

More exciting than the real thinqi

48K RAM

£5.95

£9.95

2-26 Derby Day

This favourite has to be a winner

48K RAM

£5.95

2-27 Rescue

Rescue the Princess from marauding
patrols. 48K RAM

£5.95

£4.95

2-29 Jackpot

The harmless way to take on the one-
armed bandit. 48K RAM

£5.95

2-41 Comp-U-Share

See 1-31 under ZX81.48K RAM

£9.95

£4.95

2-42 Comp-U-Tax

See 1 -32 under ZX81.48K RAM

£9.95

ip, Yew Tree, Selborne, Hants GU34 3jp"|

I will receive a FREE blank cassette with every 2 programs ordered

I can return products within seven days if not entirely satisfied and
receive a replacement.

J Ref No

Qty

Title

Price ■

;i_

i Postage, packing a
• first cassette, and

J cassette. Non-UK i

1 1 enclose a cheque/p

iNarne

nd handling: add 45p for the

25p for each additional

Drders add extra 50%

postal order for

Total

jrm

1

ft

Address

/ i _5 j J

I - • j. f

[Allow 28 days MAXIMUM FOR DELIVERY]

BOM

Hum

D avid hunt, 23 -year-oid

brother of former world
champion James, has em¬
barked on what might prove to be
the most important stage of his mo¬
tor-racing career. Backed by Acorn
Computers, David is driving a Ralt
RT3 for the Eddie Jordan Formula
Three team, the biggest of its kind in
Britain, with five, cars and drivers.

From the age of 16 David has been
fascinated by racing and for three
years he drove lOOcc karts in his
spare time from school. Eventually
he decided to move to Formula Ford
and, after working as an electrician,
mechanic, painter and decorator,
petrol pump attendant, milkman and
finally salesman, he saved enough
money and obtained sponsorship to

Acorn backs
David Hunt in
Formula Three

enter Formula Ford racing in 1981.

In the 1982 season he received acco¬
lades from the race-going public and
received a special commendation
from the Guild of Motoring Journal¬
ists as an up-and-coming talent.

Not only will David be driving an
Acorn-sponsored car but he will be
involved with Acorn plans to de¬
velop a computer Car and Track
Simulation system, which will allow
racing teams to cope with all random
factors and conditions which can oc¬
cur on Europe’s race tracks. Eventu¬
ally, Acorn will be developing a
fully-computerised car and pit ser¬
vice, with David as the guinea pig.

In addition to his racing exploits,
David is now joint managing director
of a successful Ferrari broking com¬
pany at Farnham, Surrey and it
seems that computers will soon be
part of his day-to-day life there, too,
as he is buying a BBC micro to help
to run the business.

If you want to see David in action,
he will be driving the Acorn car at
Donington Park on October 8 and 9,
at Thruxton on October 23 and again
on November 12.

A HISTORY OF
COMPUTERS

saves the day?

Shoebox brainbox

IF ELECTRONIC hardware con¬
tinues to shrink at its present rate,
it is conceivable that within the
next 20 years a computer with a
capacity equivalent to the human
brain will be no bigger than a shoe-

box and will cost little more than an
average motor car. Thirty years ago
the same brain-sized collection of
hardware would have filled a foot¬
ball pitch and cost the equivalent of
10,000 million family cars.

Underground

movements

LAST YEAR, 541 million journeys
were recorded on the London Un¬
derground and most of them in¬
volved the use of escalators and lifts.

Until recently, London Transport
relied on station staff to report fail¬
ure of the equipment but now it is
experimenting with computer alarm
systems at five stations on the
Northern Line.

As soon as a lift or escalator fails,
a report is sent to the Alphatronic
computer at the Control Centre, de¬
tailing the name of the station and
the equipment concerned. The com¬
puter is linked also with a new public
address system, allowing announce¬
ments to be made from the control
centre to any stations on the line.

Super-compute

THE FILM WarGames, in which a
super computer reacts automati¬
cally to what it thinks is a Russian
nuclear attack, plunging the United
States into World War III, seems
less far-fetched every day.

In American top-secret research
establishments work is under way
on developing a super-computer —
a machine capable of thinking and

making decisions in split seconds.
The super-computer will be incor¬
porated in the revolutionary new
U.S. missile defence system and
will be capable of responding in
seconds to a Soviet attack, shoot¬
ing-down huge intercontinental bal¬
listic missiles before the man on the
ground even knows an attack has
been launched.

Z> Y THE 1930s ~~/00 YEARS SINCE
BABBAGE LAID THE FOUNDATION FOR
COMPUTERS- THE WORLD HAD
CHANGED DRAMATICALLY. IN THE
WESTERN WORLD MOST PEOPLE
UVED IN TOWNS,WENT TO SCHOOL,
COULD READ AND WRITE, AND
WORKED IN INDUSTRY AND COMMERCE.

MECHANISED TRANSPORT HAD
MADE THE WORLD A SMALLER

THEWAfAHEAD

PLACE, AND ELECTRICITY REACHED INTO
MOST HOMES.OFFICES AND FACTORIES-
ALTHOUGH AT FIRST SIQHT THEY MIGHT
SEEM TO HAVE LITTLE TO DO WITH OUR
STORY, THESE CHANGES -SOCIAL,
TECHNICAL AND COMMERCIAL ~ PREP¬
ARED THE GROUND FOR THE GRADUAL
INTRODUCTION OF computers.

Above: Doughs DC-3 airliner and 'sfyscrapeis'-
symbo/s of western man's technicalandsoda/
progress bytfie. lT30s.

Buzzwords are the jargon of the computer world and can
be very confusing. Below, Load Runner continues its
glossary of computing terms. Get buzzing.

What a load
of rubbish

STUDENTS at Aston University
have been looking closely at peoples
dustbins , sifting the rubbish and feed¬
ing the data into a computer. A waste¬
ful use of new technology? Not really
— the computer assessment of the re¬
fuse gives vital information about the
amount of junk which can be usefully
recycled.

Fault. A problem which occurs in
the hardware of the computer. It
could be something wrong with the
electronics inside the keyboard cas¬
ing or it could be a fault between the

Feed. Giving information to the
computer. It can be done in several
ways—via the keyboard, from
punched tape, from punched cards
or from backing storage such as
discs or cassette tape.

Feedback. Information or data ob¬
tained from the computer. It will be
output from a screen, a printer or a
) plotter. It is the opposite of feed and
you can receive no feedback without
' giving the computer some feed in the
first place.

Fibre optics. The science of send¬
ing information along cables which
are made up of a glass-like plastic
compound. The information is sent
along the line in the same way as a
telephone call is sent along a wire
but the result is usually visual in¬
stead of audio.

Field. A portion of memory within a
computer file of information which
contains one bit of data. A field
could, for instance, contain the date
of birth of somebody.

File. A collection of bits of data
which have some connection with
each other. For instance, a file could
contain all the names and addresses

names and addresses, or programs.

Floppy disc. A plastic-coated, re¬
cord-shaped object on which you can
store information from a computer,
such as programs or data. While it
takes several minutes to load a pro¬
gram into a computer from cassette
tape, it takes only a second to load
from disc. That is because the com¬
puter has to read a program from
tape at the speed of the tape record¬
er but the disc is faster.

Flowchart. A way of putting on
paper the way a program should
work before writing that program.
The chart is a simple model of what
a program should look like when
running properly.

Function. Has two meanings. It
can mean the operations which the
computer can perform. It also de¬
scribes the mathematical operations
which the computer can handle. For
instance, finding the square root of a
number is a function and the com¬
puter language word to tell the ma¬
chine to find a square root is SQR,
followed by the number the square
root of which you want to find.

computer and one of the devices
attached to it, like a disc drive.

of the people in your class at school.
Files can be either data, such as

TYPEWRITERS ULTIMATELY SHAPED THE THE 'Q WERTY'KEYBOARD m PRPWOJT -me

SETTING, type WORDS) IN METAL Ann HE

J I * 'VMM/.vyr i\un i/ rvnj hlfve\/j> CAt'tTi

MANY INVENTORS TRIED TO MAKE A
FAIRLY CHEAP MACHINE THAT WOULD

U/D l~rT~ /A/ O/ i S A . .___

A — " - * »w« 11 Inl Krl/L/,

WRITE IN SUCH A WAY THAT THE’
RESULT APPEARED PRINTED

THE FIRST TO SUCCEED /N 1867,
WAS AN AMERICAN-C.LATHAM SHOLES
HE MADE HIS MARKON PRACTICALLY
EVERY COMPUTER IN USE TODAY -

Lett: Fint worKing model of Shales’ typewriter.

‘A • is .. / 11 .

me UU/ZtUkr Of- THE
SEMI-CIRCLE OF MRS
THE LAYOUT WAS
DESIGNED TO SLOW
DOWN THE TYPIST
ENOUGH TO ENSURE
THE TYPEWRITER
WORKED!

Patsy- wheelpm tfk m ai t

, IN THE IRZOi
ELECTRICALLY-POWERED]
. TYPEWRITERS BECAME
MAILABLE FOR OFFICE
USE-although THEY
DIDN'T BECOME COMMON

//>y^ .— Ala / >n if-— #> .

UNTIL THE f<f50s. THE1960s SAW THE INTRODUCTION
OF THE CPLF-BALL TYPEWRITER A lBNhmCH
ALLOWED THE TYPE-STYLE TO BE CHANGED AT
Mg^THE DISH NOTION BETWEEN TYPEWRITERS
AND COMPUTER PRINTERS IS QUICKLY DISAPPEARING
NOW THEY BOTH USE DAISY-WHEELS.

Written and dra*n by Chris SmtherS

/f WHAT A ^
IP CREEPY KEEP

yTLHOG!!

5 ^ THIS ^
CRUISE COULD
60 WITH A

tJLANGL*

CfpHE LAUGHING SHARK TORPEDOED
U To THE SURFACE ONLY To Find

TO THE SURFACE only To FIND
^ HE WASN'T IN THE SUNNY
V> PACIFIC - OUT IN THE DARK
v MURKY MOAT OF THE .

CASTLE ADVENTURE

WITH A THOUSAND DASTARDLY

deaths-Accompanied by
the mad organ 1st-Pulling
our All the stops .

[Escaping the deadly

LS SOUND OF MUSIC, THE
LAUGHING SHARK NARRoNLY

Avoided a cruise liner.

— IN A MOAT Pi I

f£)ASSlN6 A PORTHOLE HE ESPIED
LTHASTY DR. SINISTER PLANTING
A BOMB. STOP HIM SOMEONE-OR
THIS COULD TURN INTO A. .

I DEATH CRUISE

{

^ Ho-Ri ^
HEX4GLAMISI
A FRYING
^SHARK^

A PART^^^s

in jaws iv Jm

lMAYBE? y D}

WHAT
ABOUT MY
FUTURE ?

^ MORE
FRUSTRATING
ZANZE
N?W8IC CUBE^-

njjOT WISHING TO SUFFER

lAJ THE SAME fate AS HIS

COUSIN TAWS, OUR HERO
decided TO CONSULT THE
ORACLE OF CHINO....

® VERFLOWING WITH NEWLY FOUND
SELF-CONFIDENCE, LAUGHING BOY
FELT READY TO HELP PROF. BATTY
SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF LOTTM
AND FIT THE SHAPES - W

hr HE 4000 YEAR OLD
U CHINESE ART OF THE
HEXAGRAM-WITH ITS
KEY TO FUTURE AND THE
MEANING OF LIFE.

y HOP ^
pH A VIR&IN

— INTO THE GRID. IF YOU
MANAGE TO SOLVE IT
YOU COULD WIN THE
LOJIX POT OF SILVER.
50P X EACH COPY SOLD

fjylIZZY FROM HAVING TO USE HlS LITTLE
t-J FISHY BRAIN OUR INTREPID 'CHUCKLES'
GOT LOST AND FOUND HIMSELF IN THE
DANK DEPTHS OFftH I CO rA\ICDUS

MfiTH ITS HORDES OF
\AJ TREASURE AND DEADLY
GUARDIANS . • • TOO MUCH,
EVEN FOR A SUPER FISH, SO

hehopped on a us.'...

ytfmALL THAT*

'Jlovely horse

SACK To iHE sunny PACIFIC

I'o he Continued

DEATH

CRUISE

by Lee J. Brookes
DRAGON 32

VGB 4001
There's murder
afoot on the high
seas.

46-95 R.R.P.

envahi

by Jeremy Walker

VIC20(+8K

EXPANSION)

VGC3002
The game of the
film of the book of
the game.

Joystick/key

£5.95 R.R.R

September

RELEASES

LOJIX

by Steve Webb
SPECTRUM 48K

VGC1006
An intriguing
intellectual puzzle
—beat the puzzle,
win the money.

45.95 R.R.P.

I CHINO

by James Breffni
DRAGON 32

VGB 4002
Consult the Oracle
-Determine your
future.

£6-95 r.r.p.

CASTLE

ADVENTURE

by Conrad Jacobson
DRAGON 32

VGB 4003
A humorous
(insane) adventure
game—set in and
around an old
castle.

46.95 r.r.p.

by Nick Rowden

VIC20(+3Kor8K

EXPANSION)

VGC3003
An original, fast-
moving arcade
game.

Joystick/key

£5.95 r.r.p.

KILLER

CAVERNS

by Daryl Bowers
ORIC16K&48K

VGC 5001
A graphic
adventure game
set in killer
caverns.

45.95 r.r.p.

RACING

MANAGER

by Mark Alexander
SPECTRUM 48K

VGC1005
All the thrills of
the racing world.

£5.95 r.r.p.

/S\N0 WENT OFF To SPEND
LHJ A PHY ATT THE RACES,
HAVE A FLUTTER OR TWO EVEN
INVEST HIS WINNINGS IN 8ECOM-

F lush with his success on
THE 'GEE GEE’S'SMILEY
WAS ALMOST NIPPED IN THE
TAIL BY one of the mostftabcd

a CREEPER in

ITS CRAVED QUEST
for Power cells....

STOP IT OR END CLICHES
AS WE KNOW THEM.

--- m

„ EADING BACK To SEA. THE LAUGH-
LTU ING SHARK HAP To AVOID THE
ALIEN 'MUNCHIES' NIBBLING AWAY
AT A GIANT DAM. HELP, 1 IF THE DAM
BURSTS, IT WOULD FLOOD SN¥AHI

YOU MUST NOT MISS.

VIRGIN GAMES GANG

Our GANG is growing in numbers all the

‘VEmSSjf

FREE ENTRY in the next VIRGIN
GAMES GANG DRAW;

consisUn g of a VIRGIN
GAY OUT - a trip on the VIRGIN
GAMES FUN BUS to the VIRGIN
MANOR RECORDING STUDIO in
Oxfordshire. And then be our guest at the
famous KENSINGTON ROOFTOP
NIGHTCLUB, "THE GARDENS";

50 SECOND PRIZES of VIRGIN
GAMES T-SHIRTS;

SEEKaS*"""—

EXISTING TITLES

Other

titles in the VIRGIN GAMES range are: VGA 1003 -
SHEEPWALK by Gregory Trezise for SPECTRUM
48K A sheepdog trial in your living room! VGA 1001
“ T OMP by Terry Murray and Roy Poole for
SPECTRUM 16 & 48K Command the paras and take
on the impossible. VGA 1002 - STARFIRE by
Martyn Davies for SPECTRUM 48K Rid the galaxy

VIRGIN GAMES BUS
TOUR

VIRGIN GAMES ARE ON THE
ROAD! Look out for the VIRGIN
GAMES FUN BUS. From
SEPTEMBER onwards our eye¬
catching double-decker, games bus will
VISIT TOWNS throughout the U.K.,
demonstrating our games to the public,
in conjunction (where possible) with
local radio stations.

GAMES

AVAILABILITY

If your LOCAL RETAILER is not yet
s t° c, <in ? VIRGIN GAMES - tell him he
should be - but, however, you can

ORDER DIRECT from "I'VE GO T NO

of the Xtardan battle cruisers - a game of strategy and
skill. VG A 1004 — GOLF by David Thompson for
SPECTRUM 16 & 48K Championship golf in your
own home. VGA 2001 - BUG BOMB by Simon
Birrell for BBC B A skin-tingling new arcade game.
VGA 2002 - LANDFALL by Gregory Trezise for
BBC B An exciting and realistic space ship landing
simulator. VGA 2003 - SPACE ADVENTURE by

GOOD LOCAL RETAILER" dept.,
VIRGIN GAMES, 61-63
PORTOBELLO ROAD, LONDON

W11, enclose a cheque or postal orde
for the right amount and DON'T
FORGET to put your name and addre
- people do, you know!

THE "I WANT TO BE
RICH AND FAMOUS"
DEPARTMENT

If you have a yearning to be RICH AN
FAMOUS and have written an

ORIGINAL GAMES PROGRAM, wi

f ood graphics, for any of the popular
ome computers other than the ZX81

PLEASE SEND A CASSETTE
VERSION (with details) TO US.

R. Thomas and A. Thomas for BBC B Agraphic
adventure set on a seemingly abandoned ship drift
through space. VGA 3001 - MISSION MERCUi
by Steve Lee for VK 20 (UNEXPANDED) Land y
craft on the surface and rescue the scientists... bi
beware the asteroid birds.

THIS

w

_ I'M settin'

.WHy do we
'ANG AROUND
e ^A,l V y Hy COULDN'T
. we GO WITH THE
V OTHERS?

m

concealed,

l

11$ h.

V

SCRfPT:
i-ES COOKMAN

AfZ7~:

JOHN STORES

„ i-ETTERS:
STEVE POTTER

‘ii

SSS HI

WE NEED TO SEE

whathapp^sto

mis PAZSR. HE'LL
SINSTRU CTIONS
SOON , AND THEN ..
THERE'S A VAN
ARRIVING
OUTSIDE

RECEIVES HIS
INSTRUCTIONS.

-A DELIVERY
OF RECEIVERS
TO BE UNLOADED
PLEASE CONFIRM

1 .flK-

oU™ZF 7 another pazea hasaPPJ^T

^■n

h 1

mSit

w

,,.‘•*00

yinaflUi

T IT SEEMS TO 'XV
BE A DELIVERY. \V

-v HfIJ^ TO A

MUllllllil

h'Mm

UNLOAD

,. AND RETURN TO BASE

investigation

i'Vl£

TmaV^P FOLLOW
? R Azy Kip -
A ND ITOIMK I
. KNOW HOW. 1

KecJjJjj#

If you only buy ONE
computing book

1HIS is

CLASSIC!

An entertaining, but thorough reference source
with the most readable, comprehensive glossary
you’ll find anywhere. The Good Computing Book
for Beginners is an essential A-Z of all the facts you
need to know about computing — and none you

don’t!

Whether you’re brand new to computing, or an old
hand keen to stay ahead, you’ll score by keeping this
classic, top-selling book within reach to use again and

again.

The author, Dennis Jarrett, is a successful journalist
who was also founder editor of Which Computer?
magazine — so his first edition quickly became a
standard work. Now this new, substantially
enlarged and revised edition covers the latest
trends, terms and technology with the relevant facts
— and ONLY the relevant facts — in plain English.

Here s another fact you’ll find fascinating: it will only

cost you £2.95!

Use the coupon below to get your copy right away
— or buy it soon from your bookshop. It’s the one
book you’ll turn to again and again.

Dragon Data Ltd,
Queenswav,

_ A a __ " k

Specifications

Price

Numbers sold
How sold
Processor
Standard RAM
Expansion RAM

Say + ° Peratin9 SVStem

Tape recorder
Backing storage

Software

Microdeal. 14 Truro Road.
Soft Joes Software, Busine
Salamander Software, 17 |\

Comments

The Dragon has always bee
Dragon Data plans to expan.
has been produced for the [
market there.

£175
100,000 +
Assembled

6809

32K

Colour

16K

x 32 characters
Any
Disc drives

Optional

Merseyside,

h f as been criticised strong,y

e United q?V S year ' Litt ' e Software
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V ENUSIANS for the BBt, ivioaei |
Bis a quick firing game which
will stretch your nerves to
the limit. Controlling a laser base a
the bottom of the screen you must
destroy the Venusians which zoom
randomly towards you, using the
left and right cursor keys to move

an Sif S fSI to beat, and with excel

ctnd r i c

f ighter

■HI FT

Warley, West Midlands

CHR$14I

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I Yin 9 of the 9 mitt , ed
I Computer Club. S ° Utfl C
* n line 1 4 n ->

w

Spot the
difference

WHAT IS the difference be¬
tween a video games machine
like the Atari and a computer
like the Spectrum?

Stephen Toos,
Newport Pagnell, Bucks .

THE ATARI home video centre is
only for playing games. The Spec¬
trum, however, being a computer,
enables you to write your own pro¬
grams and games. Tapes are less
expensive and more of your friends,
are likely to have them, so you can
exchange tapes with them. You can
do all kinds of things with a com¬
puter which you could not even at¬
tempt with a video-games machine.

* * *

Micros—just
another craze?

HOW CAN I convince my
parents to let me buy a com¬
puter when they think it is just
another electronic game of
which I will soon grow tired?
When and if my parents let me
buy one, would you recom¬
mend the Commodore Vic-20
as a good all-round computer
for playing arcade games and
learning school subjects?

Stephen Dunne, Dublin .

YOU CAN assure your parents a

HI ! I'M BRAINY and I really rate
computers. I'm in Load Runner
every issue so write to me at
196-200 Balls Pond Road, Lon¬
don N1 4AQ and I'll do my best
to answer any questions you
have.

Remember, Brainy's the name
and, by the way, I will pay £1
to anyone whose name is men¬
tioned. Write away!

computer is not just another elec¬
tronic game, because you can use it
educationally, such as for helping
with revision, as well as for playing
games and writing programs.

The Vic-20 is one of the top com¬
puters and has plenty of good soft¬
ware and books about it. It is also
inexpensive but it has only a small
memory and uses only capital let¬
ters. It is, however, a good, popular
computer, with plenty of reasonably
inexpensive games and learning
software.

Talk about
computer talk

MY DAD says computers are
better than people. I told him
that they cannot hear and
speak but he said they could.
That is not true, is it?

Lucy Martyn, Poole, Dorset .

YOUR FATHER is correct. You can
buy special attachments for many
computers which enable them to say
certain words, usually with a strong
American accent, and you can even
get them for the Spectrum. The
Apple and some bigger computers
can be programmed to recognise
certain words—usually up to about
100—spoken by certain people, so
they can be said to hear and speak.
They cannot see, though, if that is
any consolation. And I think I prefer
people.

Using GOTO
statements

I HAVE easy access to a BBC
Micro Model B and in my pro¬
grams I often use the GOTO
statement. In the BBC Micro
User Guide it says that using
the GOTO statement is bad
practice and you should use a
‘REPEAT...UNTIL’ loop in¬
stead. Please could you tell me
how to use a REPEAT...UNTIL
loop instead of the GOTO
statement?

Conor Quinn, Belfast.

YOU CANNOT replace all GOTOs
with REPEAT...UNTIL loops but
the ones you can occur when you
have to type in the correct reply or
answer. For instance, you might
have this program:

20 INPUT reply

30 IF reply = 5 THEN GOTO 50

40 GOTO 20

50 PRINT “Good!”

That is perfectly satisfactory but
if you did that all over a big program,
you would find it difficult to read the
program and would have difficulties
if something went wrong. Instead
you could type:

20 REPEAT: INPUT reply
30 UNTIL reply = 5
40 PRINT “Good!”

That is much easier to debug,
alter and understand.

What is
the TRS-80?

I HAVE seen a computer called
the TRS-80.1 have asked if it is
a good computer but none of
those I asked has heard of it. I
wonder if you could tell me if it
is worth buying?

Shaun Gee ,
Shirecliffe, Sheffield .

THE OLD, black-and-white version
of it has recently been replaced by
the Tandy TRS-80 colour computer.
It has fairly good Basic and a reason¬
able range of software for it. I think
it can use the software for the old
TRS-80, too.

It is expensive, about £240, but
you could probably buy a much
cheaper second-hand model by look¬
ing through advertisements in com¬
puter magazines. You should ask to
try it in shops or at computer fairs
before deciding to buy.

# .

7“ CREATEP AOyE^7VRE^VO^PEORFHE/R FATHER'S COMPUTER
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CODE LINES
CHANGED.

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SYSTEM.

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( IF SOMETHING'S
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RO& BEATTIE
ARTWORK:

MALCOLM STOKES

letters-

STEVE POTTER

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distorter n
WILL CHANGE
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ALTERATIONS.

DOWN INTO A
66A OF WOCVES
AND A TOWER
OF ICE!

THERE iTHE PATCH
IS COMPLETE. NOW
WE WILL SEE WHAT
. THEY SEE. .

BEHIND, ON THE ISLAND,
SIMIAN WORKS WITH
TERRIBLE SPEED.

SCAMPER
DOWN...

EVERYTHING'S

CHAN Geo.' Jm

SOMEONE'S
ALTERING
THE GAME'S
. Structure.

AND

THEY'RE

AFTER

US.

rnMKC INSTRUCTS THE GAME AND
Moves_ INTO ACTIO N...

IF THAT'S THE
y ^ WAY THEY WANT

TRUflBULLS IJORLD

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THIS IS DAfLKLOCK

there is a tower of
ice HERE. THERE ARE

wdlves here, the

SWORD OF FI RE is HERE.

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darkening sky. ..

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MARC IS
rAKEN :

NEXT: THE HANDS
OF THE HUNTER.

TERMINAL

'rTF

SOFimjT

Duelling
air aces

biplane and a German pilot is attarki nn „„ ° U are in your

Dog Fight, for the Commodore 64, ^enamTone 'oZh^'
timeless duels of the First World War It h Zf ■ „ those

re-enactment as little happens on the commV v ' sua "y exc ' tin 9
two aircraft crossinq the screen at }pt j ter f cre *n. There are

bursts but there is little to make it a f n9eS f/r/ng mac bine-gun
arcade enthusiast 3 93me t0 appea/ to the real

ntXZTLXZTZt vou the computer acts °"'y « -

One player can ufe th* I t me Y ou or Vpur partner scores a hit.
and bombing it with the other V SeWng ° ne a,rcraft on a course

X h lf™XZ%Z7mef n9 tW °r StlCkS ' ° r i°VStick

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ment. Dog Fight canZlZ" Pr ° V,de some entertain-

costs £ 9 . 95 . , ne trom Terminal Software and

Tun, 6 ; addictive. 5 : nranhir** 7

Horrife®

adventure

RESCUING the princess from the
castle of an evil magician or king
is a standard plot for adventure '
games. The plot of Horror Castle
for the Dragon 32, is old and
standard with more creaks in it
than m the mouldy floors of the
rascal’s halls.

The game is machine-coded but
it could just as well have been
written m Dragon Basic for the
extra speed'and finish of the final
product. The adventure was text
only, with no graphics or even a
bleep of a sound effect.

The manufacturer could surely
have thought of a better plot, even
if it still took place in a castle, and
a little more care might have been
put into realising the potential of
this good machine.

Horror Castle can be obtained
from A and F Software. It costs

Fun, 3; addictive, 2; graphics, 1.

Jumping Jets!

.AtotaJoHfZ 5 °" ‘ he 16 “ SpeCtmm and ° ric The object™
IS t° take off from your aircraft carrier, evade the strafing runs ol

the enemy aircraft which come to meet you and reach the island
The Harriers being jump-jets, it means they can take-off verti¬
cally instead of the usual steady climb of most aircraft
To get anywhere near the island calls for a good deal ol

W !»" *>“ enemy iS,

Slsi~» Sir' ** b ” **" “**• « » ■

** -

£6 Sr th a n C3n b A° c btained fr ° m DureW Soft ware and costs
£6.95 for the One and £5.50 for the Spectrum

Fun, 8; addictive, 8; graphics, 8.

DIAMONDS is similar to the arcade game Dig Dug and introduces
us to Digger Dan, a prospector mining for the Great White
Diamond . Unfortunately for Dan, on the way to the diamond field
he has upset some of the locals.

There are 16 levels in the game, each with four screens. The
first level is fairly easy but as the game progresses the levels
become almost impossible to complete. The aim is to collect the
small dusters of diamonds scattered around the screen while
being pursued by various menaces.

On the first four screens Dan must collect the diamonds while
being chased by Brian the Blob, who can be crushed under the
various rocks scattered around. Dan also has Philip the Filler, the
Fireflies, Simon the Snake and the Eyes to contend with, and if he
takes too long to dear a screen of diamonds the Demon appears
and he doesn't need tunnels to pursue Dan.

Although there are 16 levels the only real variations are in the
position of brick walls under the ground which make the collection
of the diamonds more hazardous.

The first person to complete all 16 levels wins the Digger Dan
Diamond Trophy but to attain that standard will take a good deal of
skill as no extra lives are awarded for high scores.

Diamonds runs on an Atari 400/800 and is available from the
English Software Co at a cost of £14.95.

Fun, 7; addictive, 7; graphics, 6.

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Software

T HE ENGLISH Software Co produces
the best version of Scramble for the
Atari micros, called Airstrike and it is a
very good copy of the arcade game.

Colourmatic markets a ZX-81 scramble.
Gauntlet, for the 16K machine. That, too,
features six phases and is another excellent
copy.

Penetrator is the best scramble-type game
for the 48K Spectrum and is from Melbourne
House.

B Y 1980, the arcades were literally be¬
ing invaded by dozens of new games,
one of them Scramble by Stern Elec¬
tronics. The game was popular from the
beginning, because of its good graphics.
Unlike most of its counterparts, it featured a
scrolling landscape making the game seem
more realistic.

Scramble was one of the first games to
feature such things as fuel gauges and nu¬
merous alien terrains, making things slightly
more complex for the novice player.

You control a spacecraft which can be
made to move up and down or back and
forth above the alien landscape which
scrolls from right to left and is, of course,
deadly to the touch. You must also keep a
watchful eye on the fuel gauge at the bot¬
tom of the screen, which must be replen¬
ished by destroying the alien fuel dumps
located at various positions along the plan-
et!s surface.

During the phase your craft is shot at by
ground-to-air missiles and they can be de¬
stroyed by your machine-gun fire or bombs,
which can be despatched two at a time.
There are a number of alien bases dotted
among the fuel dumps and they can be
picked off for a mystery bonus.

The key to negotiating that part of the
game is to manoeuvre close to the surface
and shoot everything in your path. As you
progress further into the system you are
attacked by swarming UFOs and indestructi¬
ble fireballs. To pass that section it is advis¬
able to hug the surface and dodge the
fireballs, keeping a watchful eye on your
ever-decreasing fuel supply.

The game has six phases, including a
mothership or base with which you must
dock at the end of the system. In the event
of a player achieving that, the game will re¬
start on a slightly faster level. It takes a very
skilled player to reach that standard.

Vic Skramble by Terminal Software is also
a faithful version, with clear graphics for the
3.5K machine.

Ratings:

Airstrike 8

Gauntlet 8

. Penetrator 9

Skramble 7

Providing processor power to The Controller in publishing Load Runner were Bill Scolding (editor), David Hogan (advertisement manager) and
June Mortimer (administration). Chris Winch, Harold Mayes MBE, Terry Cartwright and Richard Hease linked into the system. The corporate
might of ECC Publications of 196-200 Balls Pond Road, London N14AQ was utilised continually. Printout by Cradley Print PLC, Warley, West
Midlands. Distributed by Spotlight Magazine Distribution Limited, 01-607 6411. ISSN 0264-8369. © 1983 Load Runner.